The LipGloss Mastermind
by Musogato
Summary: Poor, gullible Brock - He didn't even see it coming! Too bad about those friends of his... if it weren't for them, we could've gotten away with both his pokemon & his life. Maybe the Executives won't mind. That is, if we can manage to escape.
1. Raspberry Flavoring ~ part one

** The LipGloss Mastermind **  
"Raspberry Flavoring ~ part one" 

By: Jade Smith 

  
  
It was looking like the beginning of a lovely day, that Thursday morning. The sun was out, but it wasn't bright. It was slightly overcast, but not enough so that the sky looked shadowed. In short, it was perfect. That is, if you liked these kind of days. 

Ash and Misty sure did, but Brock was a little wary. Ever since the trio had woken up and began their walk to the next town, Brock couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Every rustle from a bush made him feel more insecure. 

"Hey look! A river! Why don't we stop for a lunch break?" Ash said pointing toward the mild body of water, a dozen yards off the road.   
"Ash! Lunch is two hours away. We need to find a Pokémon Center, remember? Our pokémon took some hard hits during that battle yesterday." Misty replied.   
"Yeah, but we've been walking non-stop practically **all week**! I'm tired. And hungry. Pleeeese?" 

Misty glanced at Brock and sighed.   
"Fine." 

The trio walked over to the river and prepared for a mid-morning snack. Misty had let her Staryu and Poliwhirl out, so they were splashing around along with Ash's Totodile while Misty played with Togepi on the bank. Ash was sitting on the grass, tending to Pikachu. Pikachu had been in that hard battle the day before, and was still quite exhausted. Brock was sitting on a tree stump a few yards away and was looking through his backpack. Finally finding what he was looking for --a pokéball and a white brush-- he set his bag on the ground next to him. 

"Come on out, Vulpix." 

The fire pokémon, once released, smiled at her owner and jumped into his lap. Brock began brushing Vulpix's fur until it gleamed with beauty. Brock was less paranoid now, but still jumped when he heard a branch snap in the bushes. He glared at the noisy bushes until he was satisfied that no one was there. 

"Hey Brock, when are you going to make us snacks?" Ash asked, his stomach growling on cue.   
"Oh, right. I'll start making sandwiches." Brock lifted Vulpix off and set her gently on the ground. Patting her on the head, he left to wash his hands in the river. Vulpix began walking toward Misty, but glanced over at the bushes when another branch snapped. 

  


{ * * * } 

  
An hour or so later, the trio had finished their mid-morning snack and began their walk on the road again. Brock was studying a local map, while Ash and Misty argued about what they should do when they reached the next town. 

There was a new movie playing that Misty desperately wanted to see. It was staring Trevor Motabei, who is one of the most bishounen guys in show biz. Ash on the other hand, would rather go to a funeral than suffer and watch a chick flick. He wanted to find some trainers to battle, since there was no gym. Misty, being sick of following Ash to all these battles and gyms and whatnot, demanded that they saw a movie. Ash refused and began mimicking Misty when she dreamily spoke about Trevor Motabei. Misty grew red with anger and threateningly brought out her mallet. Ash continued teasing Misty until she started chasing him, swinging her mallet around like a crazy woman. Ash began laughing and screaming while he and Misty ran in circles around Brock and the map. 

Brock, being in the middle of this chaos, sighed aggravated. He watched the two running around him until he acknowledged a pattern. Then, with perfect timing, he reached out and grabbed Misty's mallet, who in turn screeched to a stop. 

"Hey!" She shouted. 

Ash didn't realize that Misty had stopped, and kept running until he slammed into her back, knocking them both to the ground. 

"Stop it, both of you! You're acting like little kids. You're so--" Brock suddenly looked up and blushed. "S-so… so… s-s-so…" 

Ash and Misty stared at him quizzically, then looked in the direction that he was looking in. Down the road they could see the entrance to the town they were going to. However, in front of the gate they could see a tall blue-haired woman wearing a dark blue outfit. 

"That must be Officer--"   
**_WHOOOSH!_**   
"--Jenny." Misty finished. 

They stood up and watched Brock dash toward the woman. 

"Brock and girls; it never fails." Misty sighed.   
"Heh-heh, nope." Ash agreed half laughingly. 

The two followed their friend, shaking their heads in embarrassment and disgust. 

  


{ * * * } 

  
Seven minutes later, Ash, Misty, and a badly bruised Brock entered Nomai Village. Brock moaned as he rubbed his left cheek; his face was already beginning to swell. Turned out, the blue-haired lady from the town entrance _wasn't_ Officer Jenny. In fact, her name was Sheryl and she looked nothing like the famed identical officers. Her hair just happened to be the same shade of blue, and she was wearing a blue skirt. It was a simple mistake, but unfortunately for Brock, he didn't realize his mistake in time and Miss Sheryl wasn't very understanding. Especially when Brock swept her off her feet, dipped her, and said she was "the most flattering Officer Jenny of them all". Ash and Misty had to tear Brock away from her angry grasp when she started to attack him with pepper spray, stinging slaps and well placed punches. 

Brock moaned again and Misty shook her head angrily. "You had that coming Brock. If she _were_ Officer Jenny, she'd throw you in jail! You just don't do that to people you don't know!" 

Brock grumbled under his breath and took out his guidebook to the area. 

'_Nomai Village is a small town North of Olivine City. Its population may be under 10,000, but it still has a mall, many cafés, and two movie theaters. There is no official gym, but with its variety of wild pokémon, the town attracts many trainers._' 

"Hey, is that the Pokémon Center?" Ash asked a few minutes later. Misty raised her hand to her eyes to block the glare from the mid-day sun, and looked into the distance. 

"I think so. There's a giant pokéball on the roof, but that could mean anything."   
"The mapth ssayss it'sth the Pokémon Center. Maybe Nursshe Joy can give me ssome icce. I can't feel my faceth…" Brock slurred. 

  
  
When they reached the building, two little girls, each carrying a baby eevee, came running through doors. 

"Gee, I can't wait to see The Sun Has Yet to Rise!"   
"I know, me too! I hear it's really cool!"   
"My sister said she'd take us, since it has Trevor Motabei in it!"   
"That's great! I like his Espeon, 'cause it's such a cutie!" 

The girls suddenly bursted into a fit of giggles, and ran past Ash and Brock. They watched the children run down the street, before settling their gaze on Misty. 

"Let me guess. _That's_ the movie you're dying to see?" Ash asked in a monotone voice. Misty smiled and nodded her head. Ash frowned and shook his head. 

"No way. I am **not** going to a chick flick!"   
"Come on Ash, please? Hey, it might have a car explode in it."   
"Really?"   
"Uh… no, probably not. It's kind of set during the Samurai ages. But, they might show a car explode during the previews for upcoming movies!" 

Ash rolled his eyes in disgust and walked into the Pokémon Center, with Misty and Brock right behind him. Nurse Joy wasn't present in the room, so the trio went and sat down on the couch. Pikachu began to moan about its bandages rather loudly, which made Nurse Joy come out of the back room immediately. 

"Does your pokémon need any help?" She called out. Brock rushed to the counter. 

"Oh, Nurse Joy! What rapture it is to see you! Please, heal my wounds, and perhaps, heal my soul as well? Dinner with you will surely heal me completely." 

Nurse Joy laughed nervously and sweat dropped. She glanced around the room until she spotted Pikachu. 

"Oh my, what happened to your Pikachu?" 

Ash walked over to her and gently placed Pikachu on the counter. 

"We had a tough battle yesterday, and most of our pokémon took some damage. Could you heal them please? Oh, and bring some ice for my friend here?" 

"Certainly! Just place them all on the counter, and I'll go get some pokémon trays. I'll be right back." She looked at Brock quickly, then left for the back room. Brock watched her leave and sighed contently. 

"Hey, do you think she'll go out with me?" 

"Brock, I don't think she even likes you," said Misty. 

"She doesn't have to _like_ me to go _out_ with me…" 

"I meant, I don't think she likes you at _all_." 

"Oh." Brock said disappointingly. 

  
  
Nurse Joy came back out, carrying three pokéball-holding trays and a bag full of ice. She set them down on the counter, and slid the ice bag towards Brock while placing all the pokéballs into the slots of the trays. 

"Alright, your pokémon should be ready in about a half hour." With that, she departed back into the backroom, taking the pokéball trays with her. 

"Thank you!" Ash shouted. "Hey, while we wait, why don't we check out the town?" 

"Okay, but I don't really feel like walking around." Brock frowned, holding the ice bag against his head. 

"Come on, Brock. Maybe a trip to the local café might cheer you up. I'll pay…" Misty offered, her voice lingering on the word 'pay'. 

Brock's expression lit up at the thought of a free meal, and gladly excepted. Leaving the Center, they traveled down the street until they came across a charming little café on the corner of the block. 

  


{ * * * } 

  
A bell tinkled as the trio walked through the Asahi Café doors. There was a long counter with stools to the left, and many booths and rot-iron tables scattered in the middle and to the right. To the far right were the bathrooms and a staircase that went upstairs. Soft tempo music could be heard in the background, underneath the quiet conversation of all the customers. The room was mildly crowded. 

The trio made their way to the left and sat down at the counter. A bartender, who was cleaning a glass with a towel, walked up to them. 

"Can I get ye anything?" 

"Yeah, we'll have three milkshakes please." Misty ordered. 

"Alright, but we only got one flavor. The others ran out, and we won't get new ones till tomorrow." 

"Oh, that's okay, we'll have the milkshakes anyway." 

The bartender nodded his head and walked into the kitchen. Misty looked at the guys and asked if the milkshakes would be okay. They agreed, not really minding. Brock sighed sadly again, and moved his ice bag to the left side of his face. Ash was enjoying his swivel stool chair, and was turning a few inches in one direction, then twisting it in the other direction. 

A minute or two later the bartender came back, holding a tray with three reddish-purple milkshakes. Ash immediately began to drink his, humming with satisfaction. Brock was slowly stirring his and was about to begin drinking it when suddenly Ash said, "This raspberry milkshake is great!" Brock tore the straw out of his mouth and shoved the drink as far away from him as possible. 

"WHAT? This is _raspberry_?!" He shouted in shock. The bartender gave him a funny look, then nodded his head. 

"Brock, what's the matter?" Misty asked concerned. Brock shook his head furiously. 

"I'm deathly allergic to raspberries, that's what!" Misty covered her mouth in surprise, and Ash slapped his head. 

"Oy! I forgot! I'm sorry, buddy. I can't believe I forgot something like that." 

Brock slowly nodded his head, and the bartender took back the milkshake and replaced it with a glass of water. The trio sat there quietly, drinking their drinks. 

  
  
"Hey Baby, how ya doin'?" An oily voice asked a few minutes later, which sent goosebumps down Misty's arms. Ash, Misty and Brock looked behind them to see where that voice had come from. 

To their right was a red leather-padded booth where three people sat; A blonde female sat in the middle, and two greasy-looking, black-clad guys were on each side of her. They each looked around 17 years old. 

"Aren't ya goin' to answer me, Baby?" One of the guys asked again, leaning closer to her. The girl moaned uncomfortably and edged down the booth away from him. 

"Tony, why won't you leave me alone?" She begged. The other guy sat down in the booth next to her, which cut off her escape route. 'Tony' grabbed the girl's chin and forced her to look at him. 

"Come on Baby, what's the matter? You don't like me no more?" He chuckled as if he had just made some clever joke. The girl closed her eyes and jerked her face away from Tony. Tony narrowed his eyes and frowned angrily at the girl.   
"Hey, don't give me no attitude. Answer me!" 

The girl shifted her weight uneasily and gazed down at her hands, which were settled on the table. 

Brock, unable to watch any longer, jumped off his stool, walked up to Tony, and tapped him on the shoulder. 

"Hey, leave her alone. You're disturbing her." Brock said coldly. 

Tony turned around to face Brock, and laughed at his comment. Then pointing both his hands towards himself he glanced at his friend and laughed some more. 

"Hey Brett, get a load of this guy. I'm _disturbing_ my Baby." He laughed again, but then looked at Brock with a blank expression on his face. 

Tony suddenly sent his fist flying toward Brock's face, but he ducked and punched Tony right in the stomach. Tony hugged his middle and gasped for air, leaning back on the booth. Brett jumped up to get ready to fight, but Brock folded his arms against his chest and glared at him coldly. 

"Get out _now_." He growled. 

Brett nodded his head a little too quickly. He slowly edged around Brock, took hold of Tony, and dashed out of the café. The girl watched the two greasy-guys leave, and then grinned at Brock. She ran up to him and clasped her hands together gratefully. 

"Oh, thank you so much for getting rid of those creeps! They just wouldn't leave me alone. How can I repay you for being so kind?" Her amber-brown eyes were sparkling with joy. 

"Well, you can start by telling me your name," Brock smiled. 

"Oh, yeah, silly me. My name is Allison." She smiled at him and nodded her head. "And yours?" 

"I am Brock the Rock, and I'm at your service." He quickly made a dramatic pose, but quickly turned serious again. "Why were those guys bothering you?" 

Allison frowned and turned her gaze toward the floor to her side. "I…used to go out with Tony. But when we broke up last month, he started to follow me everywhere, and wouldn't leave me alone." 

"Oh, I see." 

Allison's eyes suddenly lit up and she smiled up at Brock. "But you can be my bodyguard! If Tony and his weird buddy Brett try to bother me, you can protect me!" 

Brock looked at Allison in surprise by her proposal. "Oh… I uh," 

Allison suddenly looked hurt. "That is, of course, if you wanted to. You don't have help me…" 

Brock suddenly realized that he was being given the chance to protect a very beautiful 5'4" blonde and was over come by emotion. Tears began streaming down his face and he grasped Allison's hands into his. 

"Of course I'll help you! If those sleaze-balls try to harm even one hair on your lovely head, I'll make sure they'll regret it!" 

Misty moaned and slapped her forehead. Ash, still drinking his milkshake and sitting on the stool, watched the scene with interest. Allison, over come with joy, jumped up and gave Brock a big hug. For a second Brock was in shock, but quickly returned the hug. 

"Oh! Thank you Brock! You're too kind!" 

Misty glanced at Ash and leaned towards him. "I don't know why, but I'm getting a bad feeling about this…" She whispered. Ash simply shrugged his shoulders and continued to slurp his raspberry milkshake. 

  


~{ * * * }~ 

  
  
Note:~ The actor/person, Trevor Motabei, who is mentioned in the story above, doesn't exist. Yeah, it's possible that someone on this planet is named Trevor Motabei, but in this story no references to actual living people were intentioned. Also, the café's name, Asahi, is Japanese for Morning Sun. Nice, ne? 


	2. Raspberry Flavoring ~ part two

** The LipGloss Mastermind **  
"Raspberry Flavoring ~ part two" 

  
As soon as the bill for the drinks were paid Ash, Misty, Brock, and Allison left the café. They stood by the corner of the block, looking around at the town. 

"Hey, have you seen that new movie that Trevor Motabei is in?" Allison asked Misty. Misty's eyes lit up at the mention of Mr. Motabei, and shook her head vigorously. 

"No, but I've been dying to see it!"   
"Well it just came to the local theater a few days ago."   
"Really? Have you seen it yet?"   
"Oh, of course! The movie was really, really good. You should see it."   
"I want to, but _someone_ refuses to come with me." Misty glanced accusingly at Ash. Ash looked from Misty to Allison, wishing with all his might that the conversation wouldn't go any farther. 

"Ash, do you plan on paying me back for my bike?"   
"Uh… yeah?"   
"Well then, think of this like a down payment. A ten-dollar down payment."   
"Ten dollars!?" Ash yelled, stepping away from Misty.   
"Sure! It'll probably be five dollars or so for the tickets, maybe cheaper if there's a matinee. Then there's the matter of popcorn and a soda, and maybe some candy."   
"No way. There's no way I'm spending **my** money on a chick flick." 

"Aw, that's too bad. There were a lot of cool pokémon battles in the movie." Allison said.   
"Pokémon battles? Cool ones?" Ash repeated.   
"Oh, sure! The main character has an Espeon, which does all these high-quality psychic attacks, and the bad guys have these neat looking--- well, like you said, you don't go for chick flicks." Allison said, glancing at Misty who was smiling as if thinking 'hook, line, and sinker'. 

Ash sighed defeatedly and reached for his wallet. "Ugh, fine, you win. C'mon Misty, let's go see your chick flick. But those battles better be good!" 

Allison pointed them toward the nearest movie theater, and they dashed off in hopes not to miss the next showing. Allison turned and faced Brock, smiling. 

"So, shall I show you the town?" 

  


{ * * * } 

  
"Have you lived here long?" Brock asked as they walked down the street past many little shops.   
"Mm-hmm, practically my whole life. My family moved here when I was only three years old. How about you?"   
"Nah. My friends and I are just passing through. We're pokémon trainers, and Ash --the kid in the red hat-- is collecting Johto badges. We are actually on our way to Olivine City."   
"Really? Sounds like fun. Are you collecting gym badges also?"   
"No, I want to be a pokémon breeder. I enjoy raising them much more than battling them. Are you a pokémon trainer?" 

Allison smiles and shakes her head. 

"I have a few pokémon as pets, but I don't think I have what it takes to be a trainer. I'd hate to see them get hurt. I guess I'm just a softie."   
"There's nothing wrong with caring for the welfare of your pokémon." Brock said, smiling at her. She looked up at him and returned the smile. They continued down the sidewalk silently. 

  
  
As they reached the end of the block and turned the corner, Allison caught sight of Tony and Brett and clamped on to Brock's arm. 

"I just caught a bad vibe, so you better keep your guard up." She whispered, looking around the area as if trying to pinpoint where the bad vibe came from. Brock looked around also and when he saw the two guys from the café he stopped in his tracks. Tony and Brett ran up to him and Allison until they were only three feet apart. 

"Well, well, well. Check it out, Brett. Looks like this _loser_ is moving in on my girl." Tony said while cracking his knuckles. Brett nodded and folded his arms. Allison held tighter onto Brock, and Brock frowned at Tony.   
"According to Allison, she isn't your girl anymore. So why don't you just move along." 

Tony looked at Allison and smiled.   
"Really now? Is that so? That's nice but you see, I don't _care_. Now get away from her or else." 

Brock shifted his weight so that he could stand his ground more fiercely. "No." he said.   
"Please Tony, it's over." Allison pleaded. She glanced at Brett and nodded. "Brett, tell him! He always listens to you." 

Brett shook his head and continued to glare at Brock. By now Tony was pretty angry and was opening and closing his fist as if preparing to fight.   
"If you don't move away from my girl now, you'll regret it." Tony said through clenched teeth. Brock didn't move a muscle. Tony scrunched his face up and stepped back. He pulled out a pokéball and threw it to the ground. Out of it came an electabuzz, which growled incessantly at Brock. Small while sparks jumped from one of its antennae to the other and back again. 

"Am I making myself clear?" Tony pressured. Brock reached with his right hand to his belt, but was surprised to find it empty. 

"Oh no." He whispered.   
"What's wrong?" Allison whispered back.   
"All my pokémon are still at the Pokémon Center." 

Allison looked up at him in shock, then glanced at Tony and his electabuzz. 

"What should we do?" She whispered.   
"Bluff it." He decided. 

Brock looked straight at Tony and forced a laugh. "In a fight to earn your girl's respect back, your going to let someone else do the fighting for you? How pathetic." 

Tony growled and gripped electabuzz's pokéball. "So, you want it hand-to-hand? Fine by me!" With that he recalled his pokémon and stepped up to Brock. 

Allison told Brock to be careful, then unclamped herself from his arm and moved over to where Brett was standing. They both walked back a few feet, giving Brock and Tony some room to fight. Tony was constantly moving, a few steps to the right and then back to the left, while never taking his eyes off Brock. Brock on the other hand was completely still with his arms crossed across his chest. 

Tony suddenly came flying at Brock, his fist out stretched in front of him. Brock dodged to the side and stuck out his leg, tripping Tony. Tony almost lost his balance but quickly regained it and spun around. Again he came at Brock with his fist, but Brock used his arm to defend himself against the blow. Tony continued to punch, and Brock continued to defend with his arms. Finally Brock half stepped back and caught Tony's fist in mid-punch. Brock began to close his hand, crushing Tony's fist in the process. Tony shouted out and struggled to pull his hand free, but it was to no avail. 

"Ow-Alright! Uncle, uncle!" Tony shouted. Brock threw Tony to the ground and folded his arms against his chest again. Tony crashed to the floor and cradled his hand, which was ten different shades of deep red and purple. Brett ran over and helped Tony stand up while Allison ran over to Brock and stood next to him. 

"You may have won this fight, but it's not over!" Tony shouted before he and Brett ran around the corner and out of sight. 

Brock turned around toward Allison and grinned from ear to ear. Allison wrapped her arm around Brock's and leaned her head against his shoulder as they began their walk to the Pokémon Center. 

"My hero." She smiled. 

  


{ * * * } 

  
Once Brock and Allison reached the Pokémon Center a half-hour later, they walked in and greeted Nurse Joy, who was standing behind the main counter. 

"Hello Nurse Joy! I'm Brock, I was here earlier? Oh, and this is Allison, although I'm sure you already know her.   
"Actually, I've never met---"   
"Brock, don't forget to ask for your pokémon!" Allison said, cutting Nurse Joy off before she could finish her sentence. Brock nodded and walked up to the counter. 

"I left my pokémon here earlier today, along with my friends'. Can I take mine back now?"   
"Of course. Wait one moment please." Nurse Joy said. She turned around and walked to the back room, but not before giving Allison a funny look. She returned a minute later carrying a small tray that held five pokéballs.   
"Here you go. Oh, and your vulpix was very jumpy today, maybe you should bring it out for some fresh air?" She said, handing the pokéballs over to Brock. Brock was about to thank Nurse Joy, but was interrupted by Allison's squeal. 

"You have a vulpix?" She asked excitedly. Brock nodded as they walked to sit down on the couch in the main room. "What a coincidence! Vulpix is like one of my favorite pokémon!"   
"Really?"   
"Oh yes! I just love their big glossy eyes and their soft, silky fur! They're simply to die for." Allison gushed.   
"Well, would you like to see _my_ vulpix?" Brock asked, taking out a pokéball. Allison nodded her head. 

Brock let the pokéball drop to the carpet floor, and out popped Vulpix. She glanced around quickly before jumping on the couch and sitting between Brock and Allison. 

"How adorable!" Allison smiled, reaching out her hand for vulpix to sniff. Vulpix took one sniff and began to growl, deep in her throat. She suddenly lunged her head and bit Allison's hand, then jumped off the couch and ran across the room. 

"Oh!" Allison said in shock, holding her hand. Small droplets of blood ran down her arm.   
"Vulpix!" Brock scolded, standing up. He picked up Vulpix's pokéball and recalled her, then turned his attention to Allison.   
"I'm so sorry! I don't know what got into Vulpix; I've never seen her do that before."   
"Oh, don't worry about it Brock, I'll be fine. I'm just going to go to the bathroom and wash my hand off. I'll be right back." 

With that Allison rushed down the hall and turned left, where the bathrooms and spare bedrooms were. She walked into the girls' bathroom and closed the door behind her. She ran her hand under the running water until her finger stopped bleeding, then dried it with a small washcloth. She rummaged through the drawers until she found a Band-Aid. After her finger was all taken care of, she examined herself in the mirror. She smoothed her blonde hair then reached into her pocket, pulling out a small cylinder tube of lipgloss. Leaning closer to the mirror that hung on the wall, she carefully added a new layer of lipgloss. She smacked her lips twice and admired the glossy reflection. After wiping the outside of the tube so that she left no fingerprints, she returned it to her pocket and grinned. 

"Time to end this." 

  
  
Brock felt pretty bad about what happened between Allison and Vulpix, so about a minute after Allison left for the bathroom, he followed her down the hall. He leaned against the wall next to a door, feeling awfully guilty. 

Allison opened the bathroom door and walked out, surprised to find Brock only a few yards away. 

"Oh, Brock, I didn't know you were waiting over here." Allison said, walking up to him. Brock looked up and shook his head.   
"Allison, I'm really sorry. I feel terrible."   
"Brock, it'll be okay. I'm fine, see?" Allison held up her hand to show him the little Band-Aid on her finger. "I know I don't have to worry about getting rabies or anything, because I know you take good care of your pokémon. In a few days, it'll only be a little scar." Allison smiled. 

"Also, I wanted to thank you. For what you did earlier? It was really sweet of you to protect me from Tony. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there. Tony's bad news." Allison stepped closer to Brock. "You were so brave… I could…" She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. She pulled away and looked into his squinty eyes, and he looked into her large eyes. They kissed again, this time much longer. Allison blindly reached for the door handle that they were next to and opened the door. They stumbled into the room, still kissing, and closed the door. She pushed him against the wall and kissed him harder, smearing her natural-flavored lipgloss all over his mouth. 

  


{ * * * } 

  
"See, wasn't that movie great?" Misty asked Ash as they walked out of the local movie theater. Ash yawned and stretched his arms high over his head.   
"Not really. The popcorn was too oily and some annoying kid behind me kept kicking my seat."   
"I meant the movie, not the movie theater!"   
"Eh, it was okay. The only good part was at the very end when the ancient Umbreon and the ancient Espeon battle it out to see who will inherit the moon."   
"Well, **my** favorite part was when Tamayo saved the girl from being eaten by the huge Gyarados and then they left to witness the ancients' fighting."   
"What are you talking about? That scene was boring! She wasn't even close to being eaten. Anyway, you only liked it 'cause it had Trevor Motabei in it."   
"Hee-hee-hee! All right, so I only liked the parts that had Trevor Motabei in it. Sue me! He's just so cool!" Misty smiled, holding her face in her hands. Ash sighed disgustedly and looked around at the different roads. 

"Hey Misty, do you remember which way is to the Pokémon Center?" 

  


{ * * * } 

  
It's been almost fourteen minutes since Brock and Allison had started making out, and although Brock was thoroughly enjoying it, he couldn't help getting this weird feeling in the pit of his stomach, like something was seriously wrong. Allison could tell that something was happening to Brock, and she grinned inwardly. She slowly moved her hand down Brock's back until she felt one of the loops on his belt. Then she moved her hand to the side until she found something small, hard, and metallic. She plucked each of the pokéballs that were attached to his belt and let the drop out of her hand onto the carpet floor, until she was sure she had counted five. A minute later she pulled away and looked at Brock. 

"Are you alright?" She asked.   
"Yeah, sure, I'm good. It's just… I didn't think you were this kind of girl."   
"Well, there's a whole lot you don't know about me."   
"I'd love to learn," Brock said earnestly. Allison smiled.   
"That's sweet. Here, you can start by guessing what flavor my lipgloss is." Allison quickly kissed him again, then looked at him. Brock found the question rather odd, but went with it anyway. He licked his bottom lip, then tasted the flavor. He suddenly jerked his head up and studied her face in shock. 

"It's… its _raspberry_… But I'm---"   
"Allergic? I know." 

Brock studied her face, slowly comprehending this fact. She seemed to be smiling, but Brock wasn't sure if it was true or his imagination. His vision was already beginning to get blurry. Allison stepped back a few steps from Brock, but kept her hand firmly planted on his shoulder to keep him standing. 

"But why…?" Brock asked, raising his arms to hug his poisoned stomach. This time Allison did smile, and she smiled crudely.   
"Because, dear, sweet Brock, you were just a pawn in this plan of mine." 

Brock noticed that her voice went from her regular nice, sweet voice to a low, almost scornful tone. Allison took her hand away and Brock involuntarily leaned forward. He leaned back against the wall and glared at her through tearful eyes. 

"You played me?" He said in a hurt voice. Allison simply nodded.   
"You know, it wouldn't have been so bad if you weren't so… noble and Mr. Goodybar like. Now I'm going to be doing favors for Tony for like a week since you broke his hand."   
"Wait. Those jerks that kept bothering you, they were in on this?" By now Brock was completely flustered.   
"Of course. They're my teammates. Couldn't have pulled this off without them." 

Brock stared at her, completely confused. His face must have clearly shown it, because she sighed and reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper, her lipgloss also falling out. She unfolded the piece of paper, which was the size of a regular business card, and held it in front of Brock's face. Despite his pain and burred eyes, Brock clearly made out a large red "R". 

"Team Rocket? You're apart of Team Rocket!" Brock reached to his belt to get a pokéball, but was shocked to find that he had none on him. Allison quickly picked up an empty pillowcase and filled it with Brock's pokéballs, which were laying on the carpet. Brock saw this and tried to grab at least one, but was much too weak and ended up falling to the ground. 

"I'm sorry it had to end like this, Brock. You really are a sweet guy. But my job comes first." Allison was about to walk out the door, but Brock called out.   
"Please, tell me how you knew. How'd you know… about me and my friends and everything." Brock choked out, his throat beginning to close as his body reacted to the raspberries. 

"I followed you and your annoying little friends for about a week. I'm an elite Rocket member. I studied everything about you until I found a reasonable weakness, and then I used it against you. The scene at the café? Set up. Conveniently suggesting your friends leave for the movie? Simple. Your vulpix probably caught my scent from the river this morning, so it's no wonder the little bugger bit me. But no matter. Even that battle from yesterday was all a set up just so that you'd come to the little town of Nomai." 

"M-my weakness?"   
"Me. My gender. This." She blew him a kiss. "Never thought a girl could do so much damage, did you? Well, sweet dreams lover boy." 

With that Allison walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. She walked down to the edge of the hallway and glanced around the corner to see Nurse Joy staring right in her direction. Deciding it was too risky to walk by her, Allison turned around and walked into the girls' bathroom. She looked around until she found a window large enough for her to climb through. Hopping onto the sink, she stood up and walked along a very narrow ridge that went around the whole room until she was under the window. She pushed open the screen and threw the bag through the window, then leapt through it herself. She landed with a soft thud on the other side and sprinted to the Asahi Café where her teammates waited for her. 

  


{ * * * } 

  
"About time we found this place." Ash said as he and Misty walked through the Pokémon Center doors.   
"Who knew getting lost in a small town was so easy? Hey Nurse Joy, we've come to pick up our pokémon." 

Nurse Joy quickly went into the back room and came back with two trays, one filled with pokéballs and the other holding Pikachu and Togepi.   
"Here you are."   
"Oh, and do you know if our friend Brock came here yet?" Ash asked as he clipped his pokéballs onto his belt.   
"Yes, he and…uh, Allison? Well, they went to the back rooms over an hour ago." Nurse Joy said, pointing toward a hall on the other side of the room that turned sharply left.   
"Thank you." Ash and Misty said, and they walked down to the hall. 

"Wonder where they are?" Ash asked. The entire hallway was empty, without even a sign that they had been there.   
"Maybe they ordered a room? We'll probably be staying here the night anyway." Misty suggested, knocking on one of the doors. After not hearing any response, she slowly opened the door and peaked in. It was too dark, so she turned on the light switch and walked in. 

"Ash! Get in here!" Misty shouted. Ash rushed in to see what Misty had seen. Brock was laying on ground in a fetal position, passed out. Next to him was a small business card that only had a large red "R" on it. And Ash and Misty had seen that logo enough times to know what was behind this.   
"Go get Nurse Joy. Quick." Misty ordered. Ash ran out of the room and Misty walked closer to Brock until she stepped on something. Bending down, she picked up a small tube of lipgloss. Turning it over, she read what it said: 

"Lip Jam. puts the shine back in your smile. No artificial flavoring--100% natural. Flavor: **Raspberry**." 

Misty sat down on the floor next to Brock and checked to see if he had a pulse. He had one, a very faint one.   
"Oh, Brock. I had a feeling that she was trouble." 

  


{ * * * } 

  
'_Brock was rushed to the local hospital a few minutes after being found by his two friends, Ash and Misty. Brock was given medication to help subdue the allergies, along with other treatments to rid his body of the lipgloss that caused so much damage. If his friends had found him any later, there was a great possibility that he would not have survived. A report was submitted to the police that a young woman and two young male cohorts that are apart of Team Rocket, had created an elaborate scam to steal his pokémon. Only one pokémon was not taken, and by the rarest of chances. Brock was accidentally given an empty pokéball instead of one of his five pokémon. At this time Brock has not opened the pokéball to see which pokémon of his it is, due to physical and mental stress. He is currently resting at the hospital, but hopes to be out soon. When asked if he had a statement, he only said this:_

"Females are evil."' 

"Hey! I resent that!" Misty shouts from behind the scenes. The TV news reporter sighs and signals to stop filming. A bunch of stage crew people scatter along the set, bringing coffee and donuts to the non-stage crew people. The TV news reporter walks up to Misty and explains that this is his report, and that Brock can say anything he wants his statement to be. Misty exhales angrily and walks away. Ash is busy eating all the donuts he can, while Pikachu and Togepi smuggle out some more into a plastic bag. 

  
  


~{ * * * }~ 

  
  
oOo, how many omens did you catch from the first chapter? There were about 8 in total. See, there *_was_* a point to those first boring scenes! ^_^ Don't forget to review! 


	3. Rainy Day Recessions

FYI; I don't own pokemon or anything else mentioned here except the story itself and some of the characters (Like Ally & Brett). Oh, and please please please review! =) 

  


** The LipGloss Mastermind **  
"Rainy Day Recessions" 

  
"…And now for the report that's taking Nomai by storm. The victim from yesterday's Team Rocket attack is still in critical condition, but his doctors believe that he should recover in a few days. In other news, our police force has been shifting through the town non-stop in hopes to find clues as to where those vicious Rocket agents have gone. Despite the rain, our police chief believes his men will find them before they get too far. Be on alert and keep a watchful eye on your children and pokémon. If you see anything suspicious, please dial our hotline…" 

"DAMN IT!" 

Allison swore as she paced around the small room above the Asahi Café. Tony clicked the TV off and glared at her. 

"I thought you said you took care of him!"   
"I did! He was out cold!"   
"Then how come he's still alive?"   
"I don't know!" 

Allison stopped and thoughtfully looked at Tony, who was standing near the window, looking out at the pouring rain. "No, I do know. Damn it!" She continued her pace around the room, glaring angrily at the dull blue carpet. "It was those kids! They must have left the movie early or something. Didn't they know that after the credits there was a full 15 minutes of behind-the-scene extras?" 

"Really?" Brett asked surprised. "How 'bout that. I was wondering how they did that one part--" 

"BRETT!" Tony and Allison shouted. Brett instantly raised his hands in front of him in surrender. "Right. Sorry! Angry mode." 

Allison stormed up to the bed where Brett sat and growled at him. "Aren't you in the least bit worried?" Brett looked up at her and slowly shook his head, as if she had asked some absurd question. 

"No, not really. I mean, what's the big deal? So the punk survived your evil mascara --"   
"Lipgloss."   
"Whatever. Point is, WE have his pokémon and as soon as the police and storm lighten up, WE can make our getaway."   
"But the Executives said…" 

"The Executives said to send a message. And that message has been sent, whether the guy died or not. All we can do now is escape without a hitch and report back to them." Tony said, looking back out into the rain. 

Allison sighed and sat next to Brett, leaning her head on his shoulder.   
"What's the point? This town is so small, those police freaks will find us by noon." Brett wrapped his arm around her. 

"Aw, come on. They can't catch us _that_ quickly. Besides, there are plenty of young, happening people like ourselves in this town with names like ours. And, those police freaks will be looking for two greasy guys and a blonde chick. We're practically home free!" 

Brett encouraged, pulling at Allison's blonde wig, letting a few black strands fall around her face. Allison smiled and looked at the pile of pokéballs sprawled out in front of Brett. 

"Yeah, I guess you're right. The police are searching this side of town right now, but by this afternoon they should be over on the other side. That's when we'll make our escape." 

"Alright then, sounds like a plan. Now if you don't mind, I have to wash this gallon of oil out of my hair. Ugh." Brett rolled off the side of the bed and walked towards the bathroom, but then stopped and looked at the door. 

"Someone coming?" Allison whispered. Tony turned around and looked at Brett, but he stood still watching the door. Five seconds later someone knocked on the door. Three light taps followed by two more. Brett glanced at Allison and Tony before tentatively walking to the door and opening it about an inch wide. 

"Yeah?"   
"S'alright. Only me." 

Brett opened the door wider and in came the Café's bartender.   
"Sheesh, Matt, you gave us quite a scare." Allison said, standing up. Matt looked at her and grinned, but soon after catching a warning glance from Brett, he quickly moved on to business. 

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I brought some more ice for Tony. Here man, hope it helps." Matt tossed the bag of ice to Tony, who caught it with his good hand and placed it over his other one. 

"So, what's going on down there?" Allison asked.   
"Well, the police left 10 minutes ago. They've been asking me all these questions like when y'all came in, if I heard y'all mentioning anything suspicious, stuff like that."   
"What'd you say?" Tony asked, stepping closer to the small group.   
"Nothin' much. Said you guys came in a short while before the kids did, and were pretty quiet. Although, I did say you mentioned something about Claire's house near the theater." 

"Who's Claire?" Brett asked.   
"My ex-girlfriend. She lives near the theater on the other side of town. Bein' a real bitch to me, so I thought I'd spread the joy her way." Matt smirked at this, but the Rockets remained emotionless.   
"Do you think you convinced the cops to look elsewhere?" Allison asked in a serious tone of voice.   
"Yeah, I'd say so. There's still a couple officers in this area, but I don't think they'll stay much longer if you guys keep under the radar."   
"Alright. Thanks Matt, we owe you." 

  


{ * * * } 

  
Ash and Misty were sitting on a bench outside of Brock's room in the hospital. Togepi and Pikachu sat between them, Togepi asleep and Pikachu hanging over the edge, gazing aimlessly at the floor. They had to wait until the doctors were done with their check-up before they could see Brock. 

"How long has it been already?" Misty sighed as she leaned her head back against the wall. "We've been waiting here all morning, it seems." 

Ash shrugged silently and folded his arms against his chest. "At least we don't have to answer any more questions. Those police officers were making me feel like such an idiot."   
"Yeah. How were we suppose to know that Allison was really a Team Rocket member?" 

Misty suddenly fell silent after saying that, almost as if she felt guilty for not speaking her suspicions about Allison sooner. After a few minutes of awkward silence Ash spoke up, watching Pikachu as he drifted to sleep. 

"Do you think he'll be okay?" 

Misty didn't answer right away. She glanced up at the clock on the wall directly across from where they sat. They had entered the hospital almost five hours ago. 

"I hope so." 

Fifteen more minutes of silence ensued before the majority of doctors in Brock's room walked out into the hall. Upon seeing them Misty and Ash jumped up, startling Pikachu so much that he fell off the bench. 

"Doctor Katro, how is Brock? Will he be all right? Can we see him?" Misty asked worriedly. The doctor that Misty spoke to glanced at the other doctors before looking at her and nodding. 

"He needs a lot of rest, but I suppose you two can visit him for a short while. Seeing familiar faces might help him recover faster, but don't stay too long. He needs to gain his strength back." 

With that the group of doctors walked down the hall and went their separate ways. Ash and Misty gathered their pokémon into their arms and quietly entered Brock's room. 

It was somewhat dark inside his room, only two lamps provided most of the light, one by the door and the other on a table next to Brock's bed. Brock had a tube half-filled with golden liquid going into the under-side of his wrist, and a few patches with wires stuck to his neck and chest. The only sound in the room came from the heart monitor, which gave off a steady beeping. 

As Ash and Misty neared the bed, it appeared that Brock was sleeping. When they reached his bedside though, Brock slowly tilted his head towards them and tried to smile. 

"Hi guys." 

Misty blinked back the tears and smiled back. "Hi there. How are you feeling?" 

"I've been better, but I also could've been a lot worse. The doctors told me what happened; how close I was to… Well, you know. You two saved my life." 

"Anytime, Brock. I just wish we got there sooner." Ash sighed.   
"Yeah. We shouldn't have left to see that movie." Misty sighed too, looking to the side. 

"But it was a trap. Even if you didn't see the movie, Al.." Brock struggled to say the name, but his mouth formed a hateful frown and refused to open, so he skipped over it. "She would have found some other way to get us away from you." 

"What?!" Ash and Misty exclaimed, looking at Brock. 

"Everything…was set-up. From the pokemon battle yesterday to the scene in the café, to even the fight with Tony."   
"Wait, what fight with Tony?" 

Brock told his friends about the events that happened after Ash and Misty left for the movie, but left out the part where he and Allison made out, frankly because that's his business not theirs. After he repeated what Allison told him before she left, Misty and Ash were stunned. 

"I-I can't believe this. Everything was…? Ugh, and we walked right into it." Misty said, holding Togepi tighter.   
"We won't let them get away with this. We have to find them." Ash said turning toward Misty, who nodded.   
"Brock, try to get some rest. We'll go and see what we can find out." 

  


{ * * * } 

  
When Ash and Misty left the hospital, the rain was still coming down abundantly and there were two police officers on every corner that regarded them with suspicion as they walked by. The streets were slightly flooded so when a car drove by they had to jump back so the splash wouldn't spray them. Not that it really mattered though, without an umbrella they were already soaked from the rain. 

Huddling under a low overhang in front of a food store a few blocks west of the hospital, they contemplated on what they should do. 

"Maybe we should talk to Nurse Joy, she might know something about Allison and them. If everything was a setup, then they must have been in this town for a while. And after that battle we had, they would need their pokémon to be healed just as much as ours." Misty suggested. 

"But what about that bartender guy from the café? Remember the milkshakes? Kinda strange how the only milkshake flavor he had in stock was the one Brock was allergic to." 

"Yeah… Like they were testing a theory or something. So maybe he's in on it?" 

"Pii ka?" 

Ash and Misty paused and looked down at Pikachu, who was sniffing the dry ground curiously. 

"What is it Pikachu?" Ash said, bending down next to the yellow rodent. He looked up at him and then sniffed the ground again. 

"Pii pika pi kaa chu." 

"Was Allison here, Pikachu? Did you catch her scent? Or one of the guys with her?" Ash asked. Pikachu nodded. 

Ash stood up and faced Misty. In silent agreement they both nodded and entered the food shop. The freezing air conditioning that greeted them made Misty sneeze at once, which gathered the attention of the elderly cashier, the only person in the store. 

"Hello there, can I help you with anything?" He rasped. 

"Yeah, hopefully." Ash said as they made their way over to the counter. "We were wondering if someone we knew shopped here recently. She may have been with her two friends, both guys." 

"She was a bit taller than me, and had blonde hair to her shoulders. Her two friends were a bit taller than she was, I think, and they both had dark hair. Oh, and they were a couple years older than us." Misty added. 

The cashier looked at them thoughtfully, but slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't think… oh wait, are you talking about those Rockets that were on the news?" 

Ash and Misty nodded eagerly. "Were they here? Please, we need to know!" 

The old man scrutinized their expressions for a few moments. He sighed heavily and reached below the counter, bringing out a small iron box. He set it on the counter and looked at the two kids before him. 

"I didn't want to say anything because my poor shop hasn't been doing well these past few years, and the last thing I need is bad publicity. If the locals find out that those terrible Rockets shop here, it'll surely put me out of business. So I'll tell you want you want to know as long as you promise that what's said here, stays here. Got that?" 

Ash and Misty nodded their heads solemnly. The old man continued. 

"Those Rockets started showing up in my shop a few weeks ago. They'd buy some food and whatnot, but they always asked a question before they left. Said they were tourists, so it explained why they kept asking about the town, like where the movie theater was or how far it was from the Pokémon Center." 

Ash and Misty exchanged glances at that remark and the cashier noticed it. 

"You two… you're the friends of that poor guy that got caught up with those Rockets, aren't you? The guy that got put in the hospital because of them." 

"That's why we need you to tell us everything you know about Allison so we can find her. Please, you've got to help us. For our friend." Ash pleaded with wet eyes. 

The old man nodded and looked down at the box. Ash and Misty followed his gaze. 

"The last time they visited was a few days ago. I had my suspicions about them, but when one of the guys dropped this, that's when I knew they were Rockets. It makes perfect sense though; and it explains the small red "R" that was on the sleeves of all their shirts." 

"That's right… didn't Tony have one on his sleeve from the café?" Misty asked, looking at Ash. 

"Yeah, he did. I'm so use to seeing the "R" on the front of their shirts like with Jessie and James, I didn't even notice it." Ash shook his head. "Ugh, so stupid! But… what did he drop? What's in the box?" 

The old man slowly opened it and turned it around so Ash and Misty could see inside.   
"I believe this will help you find them." 

  


{ * * * } 

  
It was growing late into the rainy afternoon and Allison, Tony, and Brett were still trapped in the room above the Asahi Café with police officers still patrolling the area. Allison took a quick glance out the main window just in time to see a cop looking up at a window not far from hers. She closed the curtains and walked up to her teammates, who were playing poker on the floor, using Pringles for betting. 

"I'll see your four Originals and raise you two BBQs."   
"Oh really? Well I'll see your two BBQs and raise you three Sour Cream and Onions." Brett said, grinning.   
"Ha! You're so bluffing. No way you can back up three Sour Cream and Onions." 

"Guys!" Allison shouted, "Get serious! We should have been long gone by now. Aren't you worried about the cops finding us? They're way too close!" 

Brett sighed and pulled her down to the floor next to him. "Ally, you have GOT to relax. The cops are still here because the crime scene is down the street. They'll let up eventually so 'till then we've just gotta wait them out." He gave her an encouraging smile. "Now come on, join the game. I'll even share my chips with you. I'm filthy rich, y'know." 

Brett grinned as he layed down his hand; a royal flush. Tony cursed under his breath as Brett claimed his crunchy jackpot. 

"If only it were real, B." Allison sighed as he split his winnings with her. He looked up at her sadly but then quickly grinned. "Hey, one day, right?" She looked back at him and returned his grin. "Damn straight. Now you boys better watch your chips 'cause I'm one with Lady Luck." She said as she shuffled the cards and dealt them. 

  
Down stairs in a small room behind the pantry, Matt sat anxiously watching a small television. Because of all the police officers and Rocket fears, his café was as empty as a ghost town. Figuring that he'd get no further customers that day, he closed the restaurant and retreated to his small workroom where he's been waiting for the opportune moment. And finally, after almost a full day of watching the same news be reported hour after hour, what he's been waiting for has finally come. 

A reward for any information that concerned the Rockets, and an even bigger reward for leading the police to where the Rockets were hiding. Matt wore a toothy grin as he watched the reward's numbers dance across the screen. He glanced at the phone on his desk, but then weighed his options. He was the only person who knew exactly where they were hiding, so if he waited a while, the reward money would increase. But if he waited too long, the Rockets might escape and he'd get no reward at all. 

Matt glanced from the tv to the phone and chewed one of his fingernails thoughtfully. Somewhere deep inside, he felt guilt for wanting to betray his friends. He's known them for a while now, and they even helped land him his current job. Although… Tony _did_ say they owed him… 

Matt took one final look at the reward money that was still being displayed on the screen and stood up, smirking at his plan. "Two birds with one stone…" He mumbled as he walked out of the room. 

  
Allison wasn't joking when she said she was one with Lady Luck -- she had won every game since she joined, although she pretended not to notice when Brett stole one of her chips so he could keep playing. Tony was about to accuse her of stacking the deck when someone lightly knocked on the door. All three of them stopped cold and watched the door, then stood up when the door was knocked two more times. 

Tony opened the door and in came Matt, smiling. 

"Hey man, what's going on? Are the cops back?" Tony asked.   
"Nah, but uh, they're givin' a reward now. A pretty big one…" Matt said, watching their expressions. 

Tony was the first to react, narrowing his eyes at the bartender. "Don't you even THINK about cashing us in. What about all those times we helped you?"   
"I know, I know. But you guys owe me for giving you a place to crash, remember? You _owe_ me." He said looking in Allison's direction. She took a half step back and glared at him.   
"You bastard, do you seriously think you can get away with blackmailing us? Whatever is in that sick mind of yours, forget it. 'Cause it ain't gonna happen." 

Matt smirked at her response like he was expecting it, and pulled out a cell phone from his pocket. 

"You see, I've got that reward hotline on my speed dial. So, if you don't comply, y'all can kiss your freedom goodbye." He moved his thumb over one of the buttons and looked back up at her. 

"You know what, I think we've overstayed our welcome." Brett said. Matt turned to face him but was met with a fist crashing into his nose. He fell backwards onto the floor and scrambled for his phone, but Brett ripped it out of his hand and punched him a few more times until he stopped struggling. 

Standing up, he straightened his shirt and nodded at Allison and Tony. "Let's get the hell out of here." 

Grabbing their stuff they walked out the door as Matt helplessly watched them, although Allison returned a few moments later to kick him in the side and grab the Pringles and cards that were still on the floor. 

  


{ * * * } 

  
A single pokéball sat on the small desk beside his bed. In the dim lamplight the round edges glowed and twinkled as if calling out to him, begging to be opened. Brock tried to ignore the metallic ball's plea, but he often found himself just staring at it, slowly realizing that it contained the only pokémon he had left, despite how much he tried to deny it. On more than one occasion he had picked it up and almost opened it, but then would shake his head and set it back down on the desk. If he opened it, he would know which one was left and which ones were gone. But as long as he didn't open it, it could still be any of them so in a sense it was like all of them were still there. 

…But he'd have to open it eventually. Brock glanced at the pokéball again, his hand twitching slightly. He swept his eyes back to the door on the other side of the room, but they slowly returned to the ball, the button on the front staring at him like an unblinking eye. 

"_Fine, fine_." He thought, surrendering to the pokéball's will. He picked it up and aimed it at the floor next to his bed. "Come on out…" He said as glowing red energy erupted from the ball and formed into a solid shape. "Hi there." Brock said, smiling sadly. 

  


~{ * * * }~ 

  


  
Oi! Don't forget to review! Whether you liked it or not, just review! Make me happy! PLEASE! ^_^; 


	4. Vague Premonitions

A/N: I do not own Pokemon. Duh. However, the original characters and story are mine. And don't forget to review! :)

**The LipGloss Mastermind **  
"Vague Premonitions" 

  
  
"Hold on," Tony said as they reached the bottom of the stairs and walked into the main café area. "We can't go out yet. There are still cops everywhere, not to mention the bounty on our heads. We wouldn't get ten feet before someone spotted us." 

"True, but they can't _catch_ us if they can't _see_ us." Allison said, pulling out a pokéball and releasing the pokémon inside. "It'll be a little obvious, but it should give us enough cover to make our exit." 

The trio looked down as an adorable vaporeon looked back up at them. "Ree!" She chimed, swishing her mermaid-like tail. 

"Not now Pina, we've got a job." Allison said and the blue creature instantly turned serious. "I figure she can create a fog thick enough for us to hide in until we reach safer grounds." She said, turning toward her male counterparts. 

"Sounds good, but are you sure Pina is up to it? Even for a small town that's still a lot of fog to make. Not to mention how suspicious it'll look, having all this fog appear out of nowhere and in only one part of town." Tony said as he leaned against a wall. After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Brett patted Pina on the head and walked toward the door. 

"Maybe so, but the longer we stay here the more danger we put ourselves in, especially if that bastard Matt manages to report us. I say we go with Ally's plan while we still can." 

Allison smiled and walked up to the door too, Pina following closely behind. All three of them looked at Tony who eventually sighed and joined them. Allison unhooked the bell that hung above the door and set it down, then gently opened the door half way. "Okay Pina, you're on. Use mist out there, extra thick." 

Pina pushed her head through the opening and looked around at the near empty street. Closing her eyes to concentrate then taking a deep breath, she exhaled a light blue fog that crept out into the street and continued to spread. At first the fog was translucent but as Pina kept going it soon became thick like pea soup. 

"Awesome job, Pina! Come on, let's go!" Allison whispered as they went out and disappeared into the fog.

{ - . - } 

  
  
"A tracker?" Ash and Misty exclaimed simultaneously. The old man nodded and carefully took the small device out of the box. The size of wristwatch battery, it was dark greenish-black and had a tiny screen on one side with three little red lights. Two of the lights were close together and blinked slowly, while the other was far on the other side of the screen and didn't blink at all. 

"While I'm not sure if it was their own intention to keep a tracker on themselves, it has the Rocket logo on the back so it must be theirs. That one light that doesn't blink represents this very tracker while the two other lights might be the other member's trackers." 

The old man held it out to Ash who gently took it and held it up so he could get a closer look. 

"But, if it tracks the movement of Allison and her teammates, then they each must have one, right? Wouldn't they notice one was gone and come back here to get it?" Misty asked, looking at the tracker. 

"That's why I kept it in this iron box. The materials this box is made up of interrupts most electronic waves, so the other trackers wouldn't get a clear reading of where it was." The old man answered. 

"Ah. But… if they dropped this a few days ago, and you had your suspicions that they were from Team Rocket, why didn't you report this and them to Officer Jenny?" Misty asked again, turning towards him. He looked down at the box and slowly closed it. 

"I, well, I was worried that if I did, word would've spread that Team Rocket had been here. This shop is all I have left, I couldn't risk losing it." He said quietly, avoiding Misty's stare. 

"Our friend almost died because of them. If you had given this to the police, they could have tracked them down and Brock never would've gotten hurt." Ash said, his voice icy. The old man shrank back under their glare. 

"I'm helping now, aren't I?" he said quietly, putting the box back under the counter. Misty looked at Ash and nudged her head towards the door. Ash nodded and they made their way to the exit. "Don't forget -- You didn't find that here. You promised!" The old man called after them, but Ash only raised his hand in response. 

Once outside, Ash and Misty watched the tracker screen as they slowly walked back towards the hospital. The single red light on one side of the screen blinked and moved along with their movement. The other two lights on the opposite side of the screen were also moving in the same direction: east. 

Ash scooped Pikachu up with one arm and let him rest on his shoulder, and then he and Misty dashed out into the light rain towards the tracker lights across town. A few minutes and a couple sneezes later, Misty noticed something. 

"Hey, isn't this the way to the Pokémon Center?" 

Ash looked around at the buildings slowly fading in the growing fog and nodded. "I think so, but why would they go back to the Center? It must be filled with officers." 

"Well, maybe they went to the Café. It is just a few houses over from the Center, and that milkshake thing is still pretty odd. Maybe we'll find some clues there." 

"Let's hope so…" Ash murmured as they continued running.   
  


{ - . - } 

  
  
Allison, Brett, and Tony walked carefully side-by-side down the sidewalk, with Pina slightly ahead of them. Every so often she'd stop and blow more mist around them. The fog was so thick now; they could barely see the sidewalk in front of them. 

"Where are we going?" Tony asked in whisper, just in case someone unwanted was nearby.   
"Not out the city gates, that's for sure. No doubt there's police blocking every exit." Allison whispered back, keeping an eye on her vaporeon. "But maybe we can fly out. I remember hearing about an old aviator warehouse on the eastern edge of town. Maybe something still flies over there." 

"Well, why don't we skip the flying part and just walk out of town?" Brett said. Tony and Allison stopped to stare at him.   
"Hello, if we could do that we wouldn't be here right now. I'm sure the cops are watching all the borders, so there's no way we could just saunter out of here. But if we flew…" 

Allison paused at the sound of Pina yipping. She turned around to see the dark blur of her pokémon disappear into the fog ahead of them. 

"Pina!" She whispered loudly before giving chase.   
"Ally, wait up! We shouldn't split up!" Brett called, but it was too late.   
"C'mon." Tony said and they followed blindly after her.   
  


{ - . - } 

  
  
Down the staircase he slowly went, gripping tightly to the handrail. His face and body was throbbing from pain, and he was sure he tasted blood in his mouth. His new cell phone was busted, and in his greed he lost both birds. Strings of curses and words of revenge clouded his mind as he slowly made his way toward the kitchen. Surely some ice packs and maybe a steak or two awaited him there. 

- - - 

"I can't believe how thick the fog got!" Misty exclaimed. "How can we find the Café if we can't see where we're going?" She looked over to where Ash was but could only see a faint blur of his outline that began to stop running. 

"You're right, we'll just end up getting lost. Noctowl, go!" A flash of red illuminated the thick fog, and the large owl hooted from somewhere above them. "Noctowl, try blowing this fog away!" Ash commanded. 

The sound of Noctowl's wings beating against the air could be heard, but the density of the fog didn't seem to change much. A few feet of visibility had been gained and Misty could see Ash more clearly, but that was it. Noctowl cooed disappointingly. 

"Thanks Noctowl, re… wait. Fly up and see if you can find a building nearby with a giant pokéball on the roof." 

Noctowl hooted and flew off. Ash and Misty waited where they stood, looking into the wall of fog around them. A few minutes later Noctowl returned, hovering in the air above Ash. 

"Wow, that was fast. Did you find it?" He asked. The bird hooted and pointed in a direction with one wing while continuing to flap the other. Ash turned toward the direction Noctowl pointed to and looked over his left shoulder. "If the Pokémon Center is this way, then the Café should be this way. Good job, Noctowl. Return." Recalling his pokémon and turning in the direction he deemed led to the café, he and Misty ran into the fog. 

- - - 

Matt sat on one of the barstools with his back leaning against the counter. A steak rested on each side of his face while his hands held large bags of ice to his torso. Despite his frustration of the day's turn of events, he began to drift to sleep. Although this too wouldn't go his way. 

A car honking came to a screeching halt right outside of the café, startling him so much that he jumped out of his chair, knocking the steaks off his face and spilling the ice all over the floor. His eyes narrowed in rage as he stumbled toward the door, ready for a shouting match, but one had already started. He opened the door to see two kids shouting at the driver of the car for not watching where he was going. The driver shouted back that they were idiots for running into the road like that. The kids replied that _he_ was the idiot for driving so fast on a foggy day. The shouting match went on for a few minutes more but Matt, recognizing the two kids, left to prepare. 

- - - 

"I can't believe that guy!" Seethed Ash after the car that nearly hit them drove off. Togepi was crying from the ordeal and Misty slowly rocked it. "I just hope we don't have to stay much longer. This town has brought us nothing but trouble since we got here." She said quietly as Togepi began to calm down. 

"Speaking of trouble…" Ash mumbled as he looked up at the building in front of them. The fog, which was thinner here because of the air swoosh the car made, revealed a large sign that read 'The Asahi Cafe'. "…We're here."   
  


{ - . - } 

  
  
Brock and his only remaining pokémon sat quietly while watching the television. Every so often a news brief would appear during commercials, giving rewards in hopes of info on the Rockets still at large, or the odd weather outbreaks that could be related. The pokémon could tell that the news brought pain to its trainer, yet he never changed the channel. 

"That's them." He finally said during one of the news briefs. The pokémon looked up at the tv to see an artist's sketch of three people, one blonde woman and two dark-haired men. 

"These three Rockets are believed to still be in the Nomai area, and their names are Allison, Tony, and Brett. No further information about them is known, but if you see them or have any information please contact us or the police at once." The news reporter said while the sketch was shown. 

"Allison, Tony, and Brett." Brock repeated flatly. "Remember those names, Crobat. They took our friends away, but we won't let them get away with it." 

Crobat nodded at its trainer and looked back at the tv, memorizing the sketch and their names. "We're going to find them." It heard Brock say and its voice crackled in agreement.   
  


{ - . - } 

  
  
Ash and Misty walked through the main café area, careful not to step on any of the ice that littered the ground. They looked in disgust how trashed the café was -- tables had been overturned, chairs, food, and ice was thrown all over the floor, and there were wrappers and ripped paper everywhere. 

"What happened here?" Misty wondered aloud as Matt came out of the kitchen. His hair was sticking everywhere, had a black eye and his shirt was torn in three different places. He had a piece of raggedy-edged rope draped around his neck and was carrying a broom. 

"Oh, 'ello there." He rasped, limping towards them. "I'm sorry, but we're closed right now." 

"Are you okay? What happened?" Ash and Misty exclaimed while running up to him. Matt slowly took notice of the rope still on him, placed it on the counter, and sighed. 

"It was those awful Rockets. When I closed shop last night, I thought everyone had left. But when I went to check on the register, they jumped me. I tried to resist, but they outnumbered me three-to-one. They tied me up and left me in the pantry. I just got out a few minutes ago thanks to a rusty nail." Matt paused to look around the café and shook his head sadly. "I thought I heard 'em celebrating, but I didn't think they'd trash the place this bad. This is like my second home, y'know?" 

Ash and Misty nodded sadly while Pikachu and Togepi made condolence sounds. 

"So, what are you kids doing here?" Matt asked. 

"Well, we're looking for them, Allison in particular. She stole our friend's pokémon and almost killed him. We thought maybe they'd stop by here." Ash answered. 

"You were right on that account." Matt sighed in distress as he looked at the state of his café. "I wish I could find 'em…" He muttered shaking his fist lightly in the air. "Make 'em pay for what they did." 

Ash looked at Misty as if thinking a question, but she shook her head. 

"Well, we should get going. Good luck with the café and take care." She said and walked toward the door with Ash not too far behind. 

"Wait, hang on." Matt called after them. "You two aren't really going to face those Rockets all by yourselves, are you?" Ash and Misty nodded. "But they can be vicious! Maybe I should come along too. Y'know, to make it even." 

"I dunno…" Ash said while getting a worried look from Misty. 

"Ah, c'mon. You could use the extra help. Besides, you want to get back at 'em for what they did to your friend, right?" Ash narrowed his eyes and nodded fiercely. "Well then, let me tag along. You won't regret it." Matt finished and leaned the broom against the counter. 

"Well… alright. But I have to make a phone call. Brock should know that we're on their trail and closing in." Ash said as he walked to a payphone near the staircase.   
  


{ - . - } 

  
  
The fog was slowly beginning to dissipate and it had finally stopped raining. Brett was growing impatient from their fruitless search, and Tony got the feeling that he was going to do something stupid. Not seeing any other people around, Brett took a deep breath, cupped his hands around mouth and… 

"Hey!" Brett shouted as Tony suddenly slapped the back of his head.   
"You're such a moron!" Tony hissed. "Everyone in town is looking for us, remember? Shouting her name is only going to bring attention to ourselves."   
"Then how do _you_ expect to find her?" Brett whispered, glaring back at him. "We've been wandering around here for a half hour now and haven't found a thing."   
"Well getting the cops' attention sure as hell won't help any. If you had brought your houndour…"   
"Man, I told you already. Pono got food poisoning and was in no condition to come along. Besides, with all this rain I doubt he'd be able to track her." 

Tony and Brett stood in silence until all of a sudden Tony's eyes widened with realization. Reaching to the back of his neck, he pulled out a small tracker from the inside of his shirt's collar. Brett soon followed suit, but was disappointed to find his missing. He began examining the ground around them and Tony shook his head. 

"Don't tell me you lost it again." He sighed. Brett, not seeing it on the ground, walked up to Tony.   
"Is it showing up on yours?" He asked.   
"Yeah, right there." Tony said, pointing to a blip on the screen. "C'mon, let's go."   
  


{ - . - } 

  
  
"Pina! Oh, Piiiiinaaaa!" Allison called into the fog. She could have sworn she saw that blue pain-in-the-butt come this way…   
"Ah! There you are!" She said relieved, spotting the vaporeon next to a brick wall. "Pina, what is wrong with you? You know better than to run off like that. Especially while on a mission!" 

"Reeon…" Pina mumbled, glancing up at her trainer before returning her gaze to the object in front of her. Allison bent down to see what her pokémon was looking at, and was less than happy at the result. 

"A shoe? You got us separated from our team just to find a shoe? A fish or someone's wallet I can understand. But a shoe?!" The vaporeon laid down next to the shoe and looked back up at Allison with sad eyes. "Reeon…" She mumbled again. Allison sighed and looked carefully at the blue and white shoe again, trying to take it seriously. The moment didn't last long. 

"…I'm sorry Pina, but I don't see the connection. And we really need to meet back with Brett and Tony. So say goodbye to the shoe 'cause it's time to go." Allison said, standing back up and pulling out Pina's pokéball. 

Pina stood up and nodded respectfully before the shoe, then turned toward Allison. "Alright Pina, let's go home." She smiled softly as she recalled her pokémon. Slipping the pokéball back into her bag, she gave the solitary shoe one last glance before turning to leave, where she proceeded to bump into someone. 

"Oh, excuse me, I… wait, you two!" Allison exclaimed, staring into the cold faces of Ash and Misty. She began to take a step back from them when something blunt hit her in the back of her head. She tried to steady herself as the world and her stomach began spinning, but her legs couldn't support her. She slowly slumped to the ground, her head exploding with pain. She tried reaching for Pina's pokéball, but the inches between the bag and her fingers were too far and she blacked out.   
  


--{ - . - }--

  
  
oOo, scary scary! What's gonna happen to Ally? And will Brock ever get his pokemon back? All your questions and more will be answered in the **final** upcoming chapter! Boo-ya! But in the meantime, please remember to review! A click of a button, a few words of advice or opinion, and bam! I'm one step closer to finishing that final chapter. So please review! =) 


	5. Shades of Gray

**The LipGloss Mastermind **  
"Shades of Gray" 

_Running, laughing, hiding, screaming. Life is not unlike a game of tag -- enemies change with the rolling tide. We all try to reach home base, to secure our moment of wellbeing, but no one wins every time. We all have our share of being It -- there is no line between good and bad in the shades of gray. Only moments of freedom between the running and the screaming. _

"You hit her too hard." A voice says from far away.  
"Don't worry about it." Another voice replies. "I'll be back."  
"What if…" The first one started, but a door slammed.

The darkness that twisted in her mind suddenly vanished and Allison awoke with a start. She stared at the pale ceiling with its thin cracks and watermarks until she felt the presence of another. She looked over to see a young man across the small room, looking out the window.

"Leo?"

The young man, looking around 19 with short corn-yellow hair, turned his head and smiled.

"Hey sleepy-head."

"Leo!" A 10-year old Allison shouted happily and hopped out of bed. He kneeled down and stretched out his arms as she ran to hug him. "I've missed you so much!" She muffled into his shirt.

"Yeah, it's been a while. Here, let me get a look at ya." Leo said, standing up and taking a step back. He put one hand on his hip and the other to his chin and made a 'hmmm' sound that made Allison laugh. "You've gotten taller, haven't you?"

"Yup! I grew two whole inches!" She said, beaming with pride.  
"Good job!" Leo nodded as he reached for a small bag that leaned against the wall. "I got ya something." He smiled as he pulled out a small box. He held it out and Allison quickly snatched it.

"What is it, what is it?" She chanted as she ripped through the blue wrapping paper. When the present became clear, she looked up at Leo in shock. "It's a…" She slowly took out the pokéball and pointed it at the ground. A red energy beam shot out and after it faded, a young eevee looked up at the two and smiled. "Aww!" She cried as she hugged the little fox. "But mom said I couldn't have a pokémon."

"Then it's our little secret. Think of her as a belated birthday gift." Leo said, glancing out the window again. "Sorry I missed it."  
"That's okay," Allison said as she recalled her new pokémon. "But where have you been? You've been gone for almost a year. Was it work again?"  
Leo nodded sadly. "Yeah, but it's getting better. They're not pushing me as hard as before, and the missions are getting a little easier. I guess the training paid off after all."

"Mom said that you abandoned us and that you didn't care about us anymore."  
"Mom's a drunkard who doesn't know day from night." Leo grumbled, then suddenly kneeled down in front of Allison and looked at her straight in the eyes. "I didn't abandon you. I'm trying to make a better life for us, and if that means being gone for a while and sometimes doing things we're less than proud of, then so be it if we can be happy in the long run. Right?"  
"Right."  
"Good." Leo said, standing up. Something outside the window caught his eye and he frowned.

"Well, it's time for me to go again." He said as he picked up his black backpack.  
"Already? Can't you stay for breakfast?" Allison asked. Leo slowly shook his head.  
"'fraid not. But I'll try visit again when I can." He said as he walked toward the door.

"Let me come with you!" Allison said, pulling out a gym bag from under her bed. "I've already packed, and I'll be good I promise!" She looked hopefully at Leo.  
"No." He said firmly. "It's far too dangerous. You just stay here, be a good girl and… stay out of mom's way. I'll visit again when I can."

"It's not too dangerous for you…" She mumbled, her eyes tearing up. Leo sighed and walked up to her. "Yeah, it is. But as your big brother, I gotta look out for you. You're safe here Ally, well, more than you would be if you came with me. And that's why you have to stay."

"But… What if you don't come back?"  
Leo hesitated for a moment but quickly recovered and put on a grin.  
"Nonsense. You forget that I'm wearing my lucky shoes. With these babies on, nothing can hurt me."

Allison looked down at his white and blue striped running shoes and raised an eyebrow. "They don't look so lucky to me."  
"Looks can be deceiving, Ally. But they've been lucky for me so far." He said as he patted her on the head. "Take care of yourself and your new eevee, okay?"

With that he turned and walked toward the door, but Allison stayed silent, mesmerized by his shoes. His white and blue shoes. Something tugged deep in her heart and she found it increasingly hard to breathe. The image of a brick back alley and a solitary shoe suddenly flashed in her mind and her legs crumpled beneath her.

"No…" She whispered, her hands holding the sides of her head. The room grew dark and her ears were filled with static. Leo turned and faced her, suddenly wearing a black Team Rocket uniform. The red R on the front of his shirt glowed eerily in the dim light. She leaped toward him with her arms stretched out, but she couldn't reach him. The static sound grew unbearably louder until everything faded to black.

- - -

"She's been out for a while… shouldn't she have woken up by now?" Misty asked as she looked through one of Allison's bags. Ash shrugged and reached for another stale Pringles chip.

"That hit must've been stronger than we thought, not even Pikachu's shocks could wake her up." He said glancing over at Allison. She sat on the ground, tied to a wooden support beam in the center of the room. Her eyes were closed and every once in a while she shuddered under the rope.

* * *

With the fog almost gone, following the tracker screen and avoiding being seen by the police was becoming increasingly difficult. Tony and Brett had taken many shortcuts to avoid the cops, and were increasingly surprised by how far Allison had gotten away from them.

"The tracker hasn't moved in a while…. Do you think she's okay?" Brett asked as Tony glanced around the corner of the building they were hiding behind.  
"Dunno, but we can't go this way. Two more cops just showed up."  
"But this looks like the fastest route to her!" Brett whispered, clenching his fists. A tiny 'clink' was heard and both of them fell silent as they looked down at Brett's left fist. He slowly opened his hand to find the tracker broken into five tiny pieces.  
"You….fucking…idiot." Tony said dully as Brett brushed the tracker pieces out of his palm. "Do you know how much those cost?"

"We need to find Ally. The tracker pointed forward and a little to the left, so that's where we're heading." Brett said, walking past Tony.  
"But what about the cops?"  
"Screw 'em."

Brett walked out into the open and continued forward, not even glancing at the cops a few yards away to his left. He closed his eyes and visualized the tracker's screen as he'd last seen it, then opened them and looked at the path in front of him. 'I should probably take the second or third side-road on the left.' He thought.

Tony followed Brett tentatively, looking at the cops every few feet. They were facing the direction opposite of the Rockets, but the way they were looking from side to side worried Tony. He quickly caught up to Brett and they vanished from view behind another building. Brett stopped in front of the second side-road and looked around, but his gut was telling him that this wasn't it. Walking down to the next one, he paused to see a brick dead-end path. There were some fog still floating around it in, and Brett began to get worried.

"Allison? You in here?" He called out softly, walking into the alleyway. He took a few more steps into the thin fog before he heard something crack under his shoe. He quickly stepped back and knelt to the reddened ground. Squinting through the thin fog, he found what he stepped on and picked it up.

"Tony…" Brett said, looking again at the ground before standing up. Tony came up behind him and saw the cracked tracker in his hand and the blood on the ground.  
"…Shit."  
"Think this is the cops' doing?" He asked, surprisingly quiet, while turning towards Tony.  
"I don't know. Don't see any shells, and I haven't heard any of them talking about a capture, so maybe not."

Brett stayed quiet, staring intently at the tracker. The screen had a thin crack down the middle that branched out into thinner lines, and half of the unit was coated in dried blood. Despite this two small red dots still appeared, one steady and the other appearing sporadically in various places.

"C'mon," Tony said finally, shaking Brett out of his trance. "We can't stay here." Brett looked up with cold eyes but then focused on something over Tony's shoulder. He turned to see a large Crobat floating silently behind him, its teeth bared and eyes filled with spite. "Hwabwaaba!" Tony shouted, jumping away from the pokémon and hiding slightly behind Brett. "Where the hell did _that_ come from?" He asked bewildered. Brett remained still and returned the Crobat's glare.

The Crobat also remained still, glancing from one man to the other. It appeared to recognize them, but also seemed like it was looking for something more. Tony began to reach for his side pocket but Crobat's screech made him hesitate. "What is with you?" Brett said finally, clenching his fists. The Crobat's yellow eyes narrowed.  
"Maybe it's with the cops?" Tony asked, looking warily at it.  
"If it was, we'd be surrounded already. Maybe it's just looking for trouble."

"Hmm…" Tony said slowly, his mind clicking, "We could use this."  
"What?"  
"There's no way we'll find Allison down here, but maybe we'll find her with a birds-eye view. Crobat could help us find her!" Crobat's voice clicked at the mention of her name and watched the two curiously.  
"I dunno Tony. Who's to say it'll help? We'd basically be trading one wild goose chase for another." Brett said, glaring at it.  
"…True. Plus, where to start looking for her? There are no trails for it to follow." Tony said, losing confidence in his plan. Crobat watched them carefully.  
"If it was willing to help, it could follow this…" Brett sighed, holding out the cracked tracker.  
"It's no good if it's not on her." Tony said, growing tired.  
"It's not her tracker."

* * *

"Nyaa…." Allison moaned as she slowly opened her eyes. The light that greeted her was bright and hazy as she gazed numbly at the floor. "Pina knew…. That's why she ran off." She said softly as she reeled from her dream and the dull pain in the back of her head. She tried to stand up, but slowly realized that she couldn't budge. She looked around herself to find that she was tied to the beam she was leaning against, and that her hands, tied at the wrists, sat numbly behind her.

The sound of footsteps brought her back to the present, and she looked up to see Ash and Misty walking toward her. "Oh yeah." She muttered, remembering what happened before she blacked out. The two stopped in front of her and glared down coldly.

"Why did you do it?" Ash said finally, gritting his teeth. Allison looked up at him for a moment before her gaze drifted around the room.  
"…Why do we do any of the things that we do? Is it of our own choices and desires, or are we merely puppets following a script written by those who pull the strings?" She asked mysteriously as she took note of the warehouse's windows and doors.  
"I didn't ask for a riddle -- Answer the question!" Ash retorted angrily. She sighed and looked up at them squarely.  
"So who found my lipgloss container?"  
"…What?"  
"Surely someone found it. Was it you?" She said, turning towards Misty.  
"Why does it matter?"

Allison smiled slightly. "Medical examinations take time. There could've been a hundred different things Brock might have been suffering from, yet with one little plastic tube you knew exactly what was ailing him. Without it, how would you know it was an allergy attack and he was not simply knocked unconscience?"

Ash and Misty stared at her stunned. "What are you saying?" Misty asked, "That you left the lipgloss on purpose so we'd know what was wrong with Brock?" Allison slowly shrugged her shoulders and tried not to look smug. "What if I did?"

"Lemme get this straight." Ash said, shaking his head in confusion. "You stole his pokémon and tried to kill him, but left evidence behind so we could save him?"  
"How's about we make a deal." Allison said calmly. "You want answers, I want freedom. We'll play for it. My cards are…" She turned to the left to see her things spread out on the table, along with a sleeping Togepi and a watchful Pikachu. "Hm. Let's play poker. For every hand you win, I'll answer one question. But for every hand I win, you cut one of these ropes. Game ends when I'm free or all of your questions are answered. What say you?"

Ash stared at her blankly. "Why play cards when I could have Pikachu get the answers out of you?"  
"Ah, the torture routine." She sighed. "How original. But you're awfully young. Why have blood-curdling screams etched into your memory so soon? With the card game we both get what we want, no one gets hurt, and no haunting memories."  
"…Or, you could just answer our questions."  
"Ha, yeah right. They'd kill me for sure. Leaving fate to Lady Luck would be better for both of us."

Ash took a few steps back and watched her carefully while thinking it over. Finally he walked over to the table and picked up the pile of cards next to the Pringles and a map of Nomai.

"Ash, this is insane! She's _our_ captive; we should be making the calls not her." Misty whispered, following him. Ash paused and look down at Pikachu, who was looking back up at him. "Yeah, but she's willing to answer questions. That's more than we or Matt hoped for. I want to get payback for what she did to Brock too, but I also want to know why she did it in the first place. Besides, it's just a card game. How hard could it be?"  
"Have you even _played_ poker before?"  
"Um, I think so, a couple years back. It's where you match all the pairs, right?"  
"That's Go Fish."

"…..Oh. Then no. But don't worry, I've got plenty of beginner's luck."

With those inspiring words of confidence, Ash sat on the floor in front of Allison and began to shuffle the cards. "How many do I deal out?"  
"Five each. And you'll need to untie my hands." She said.  
"What? No way!" He shouted, putting the deck down.  
"Then how am I going to hold my cards? I'm not psychic."  
"Misty can hold your cards for you." Ash suggested. Allison laughed at the thought.

"Yeah right! She'll help you win!"  
"It's either me or nothing at all." Said Misty, walking up to them. Allison looked past her at the table where their bags, Togepi, and Pikachu sat. Pikachu narrowed its eyes at her and a few bolts of electricity sparked from its cheeks. Allison sighed and looked back up at Misty.  
"Fine, whatever. But you play as I say."

Misty rolled her eyes and sat down next her, and the game began. Ash dealt out the first hand and Misty held out her cards so Allison could see them.

"So… What do we do?" Ash asked, a look of confusion on his face.  
"You don't know how to play?" Allison asked shocked. Ash shook his head.  
"This is too easy…" She mumbled, trying to stifle a laugh.  
"Hey!" Ash shouted, standing up and throwing his cards to the ground. "You nearly killed Brock and we want to know why! Having Pikachu shock the answers out of you would be a lot easier and more gratifying than playing this stupid game, but we went with it because you were willing to answer questions. But if not…" Ash trailed off and as if on cue, Pikachu hopped over to where they were and began charging electricity. Allison quietly watched Pikachu as an aura surrounded it from the charge, and calculated the odds of how many full-power attacks she could withstand. The numbers weren't in her favor. Finally she closed her eyes and sighed.

"One pair, two pairs, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush." She said quietly.  
"…What?"  
"Whoever has the best hand wins. Straight is when the cards are in order, but different suits; flush is when the cards are in the same suit, but not in order; full house is composed of one pair and three of a kind; straight flush is when the cards are in order and in the same suit; royal flush is the same as a straight flush, except with the royal cards. Aces can be wild, and you can draw from the pile twice. I'll tell you what you want to know, but I'd prefer not to die by a yellow rat."

After a moment of silence, Ash sat back down and picked his cards up. "You'd better answer every question truthfully then." Was all he said. Allison opened her eyes and twitched her eyebrows. Pikachu stopped charging and laid down next to Ash, yet still glaring at her. Misty also sat back down and held out her cards for Allison to see, and the game continued.

The first two rounds belonged to Allison, although no one made any move toward cutting her ropes. After she won the fourth round with a full house, she opened her mouth to ask but Ash cut her off.  
"There are twenty loops in rope, including the ones on your wrists and ankles. If you win all twenty rounds, then we'll cut the ropes, just like we agreed." He said, carefully looking at his new hand of cards. Allison nodded and told Misty to discard the farthest card on the left. She also won this round, but was surprised when Ash whipped out a straight flush on the next game.

"Alright! Finally. Now," Ash said, looking at Allison grimly. "Why did you want to kill Brock."  
Allison was silent for a moment before answering. "I didn't _want_ to, I was ordered to. I was delivering a message."  
"What kind of a message? And why Brock?" Misty asked, but Allison shook her head.  
"One question per win, just like we agreed." She stated simply. The game continued, but after a careless mistake on Allison's part, Ash won again.

"What was the message?" He asked.  
"A warning." Allison said, staring directly into Ash's eyes. "The Executives don't like how you've been meddling in Rocket affairs. Brock was to be an example of what's to come if you continue sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

Pikachu's fur began to stand on end as it charged electricity again, and the look of venom in its eyes matched that of its trainer.  
"But y-you know what they say, d-don't kill the messenger…" Allison smiled weakly as she looked from Pikachu to Ash. Misty dropped the cards and walked up next to Ash.

"If it's me they're worried about, why did you go after Brock?" Ash asked, his hand held out towards Pikachu as if motioning it not to attack.

"You'll have to win another round of--"  
"I'm done playing." He said coldly. When Allison didn't respond after a few moments, Ash moved his hand away and Pikachu shocked the ground near Allison, hitting one of her cards and setting it on fire. The attack startled her and she tried to jump away, but the ropes prevented any movement.

"The next attack won't miss. So you'd better tell me why you went after Brock and not me." Ash said as Pikachu began to charge again.  
Allison held her breath and turned her gaze to the door across the room. "Brock… was easy to manipulate. He's a fool when around a pretty face, a blatant weakness just waiting to be exploited. We figured he'd be an easier target then Misty."

"…What?" Misty asked confused. Pikachu let loose another thunderbolt, this one hitting right in front of Allison and igniting more cards.  
"Why are you targeting my friends instead of me?" Ash asked again.

"I…" Allison began when she saw someone walk through the door and stopped, her eyes widening in fear.  
"Hey Allison, did ya miss me?" Matt said, walking up to the group.  
"W-what are you doing here?" Allison asked, trying to regain her composure. From the snide look on Matt's face, she could tell she wasn't doing a good job.  
"So, what's with the burnin' cards?" He asked while kicking the pile out of his way.  
"We were playing a game. If we won, she answered a question." Ash answered. "Well, that's how it started out anyway."

"Ah. Sounds like somethin' she'd think up. Always one for games. But hey, I got a game, and it's good too." Matt said, lightly pushing Ash out of his way as he walked towards Allison. She struggled against the ropes but before she knew it Matt was right next to her with both his hands wrapped tightly around her throat. She choked out a yell and continued to flail, but Matt's grip and the ropes kept her in place.  
"Here's a game I like ta call 'Smart Move'. Make the smart move, and ya can live a little longer. Make a bad move, and I snap your neck. Understand?" Allison continued to struggle, so Matt tightened his grip and slammed her head back against the pole she was tied to, reopening the wound she got earlier. "Understand?" Matt asked again through clenched teeth. Allison slowly slumped down and nodded her head once as blood began to trickle down her neck.

"See, ya just need to know how to handle 'em." Matt said, looking back to where Ash and Misty stood.  
"We had something worked out too, and it was going rather well." Ash said, exchanging a worried glance with Misty.  
"Maybe, but this is more fun." Said Matt, turning his attention back to Allison and loosening his grip on her throat. "Now, let's see. Oh, I got a question. How come you didn't accept my offer back at the café?" Allison gulped and tried to stretch her neck up in hopes to breathe easier. "Well?" Matt asked, narrowing his eyes.  
"Because you betrayed us, you sick bastard." She said, her voice cracking. "Not to mention, you're ugly as hell. I'd rather chew glass than spend the night with you." She looked at him in disgust and Matt grunted in rage.

"Bad move." He yelled as his grip tightened again. Allison squeaked and began to flail around again, trying to break lose or breathe but couldn't do either. Forty seconds went by and she looked over Matt's shoulder to see the fuzzy outline of Ash. She opened her mouth to call for help, but her voice was silent. Her eyes slowly began to float upwards, and all she could see was her brown suede shoe sitting in an abandoned alley next to a dusty blue and white Nike.

"Matt, that's enough!" Ash shouted, taking a step forward.  
"Bitch deserves it." Matt mumbled, intently focused on her air-depraved face.  
"I said that's enough!" Ash shouted again as he slammed into Matt's side, knocking him to the ground. Allison leaned forward and gasped for air between coughs. After a few long moments she slowly looked up to where Ash and Matt were standing up, but the room was growing dark. She saw Matt staring right at her, wearing a smile that made her stomach turn. Then everything faded to black.

Matt turned towards Ash and pushed him back. "What's your problem, man? Why'd ya stop me?" He yelled.  
"Because you were killing her!" Ash shouted back.  
"So? I thought you wanted revenge for your friend!"  
"Not by killing her! That'd make us just like them!"  
Matt looked over at Allison then turned to spit. "Whatever. I need a drink." And with that he walked over to a tiny fridge in the corner of the large room.

Ash turned and walked back towards Misty, who was crouching down next to Allison.  
"Is she…"  
"No, I think she just passed out again." Misty said, looking at the grotesque purplish-red marks circling her neck. "Matt said he made her an offer, and I think she said that he betrayed her. Sounds like they really were working together like we thought."  
"Maybe. But what do we do now? She hasn't answered all our questions, and if we ask Matt about it, he'll just lie to us. Or worse." Ash said quietly, glancing over at Matt who was downing a Coors.  
"I knew we shouldn't have let him come along!" Misty whispered. "But if we take Allison to the authorities now, she'll never answer our questions. We have no choice but to wait until she wakes up again."

Shadows and patches of light fell across the room as the sun sunk lower behind the western windows.

* * *

Whoo, getting down to the end of the story! How many chapters to go? One? Maybe two? Not sure yet. But please be sure to review! Without reviews, I have **no** idea if anyone is even reading this. And I'd hate to think I'm writing all these chapters in vain... so please review! :) 


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